Charity which helped Peterborough United legend Tommy Robson after MND diagnosis pays tribute to the Posh legend

Posh’s all time record appearance maker died on Thursday after a battle with MND.

Prayers have been said at Peterborough Cathedral for Tommy and his family following the sad news.

Tommy had been battling the disease for a just over a year, and Brenda Parkes met him at the motor neurone disease (MND) clinic at Peterborough City Hospital soon after his diagnosis last August, in her capacity as a care services navigator volunteer for the MND Association.

She said: “Tommy was a lovely person, such a sociable character, very garrulous with a fantastic sense of humour.

“I visited him and his wife every month and was privileged to be able to support them as they faced the challenge of living with MND. Tommy was a pleasure to work with and I am so sorry to hear the news of his death.”

MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work. It can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk and eventually breathe.

A third of people die within a year of diagnosis and more than half within two years.

MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. Each day six people are diagnosed and six people die.

MND Association’s Director of External Affairs Chris James said: “We are all saddened to hear of the death of Tommy Robson and extend our sympathies to his loved ones.

“Tommy has been involved with the Association since his diagnosis last year and has been very honest and open about his experience of MND.

“MND is a brutal disease which generally doesn’t get the attention that many other diseases and conditions do. When people like Tommy speak out about MND, others listen and that helps spread awareness of MND which in turn helps us to raise much needed funds for research.

“At the moment there is no effective treatment but there is a global research effort, which the MND Association is proud to be part of, to understand more about this disease so we can take strides towards that.”

For more information about MND, or how to help the Association, visit www.mndassociation.org